What Have You Done For Democracy Lately?

Ode to Democracy

What have you done for democracy lately?

In a free society such as Canada, we as the electorate can often become complacent, feeling as if a trip to the polls won’t make much difference to society and is mostly a boring chore we would rather not do.

This is not true for everyone, including myself as I clearly love elections and discussions of civics. But as reflected in the voter turnout levels at the last federal election, many Canadians have tuned out, lost interest or at least the belief that voting matters at all, let alone in the scope of their everyday lives.

So I have created a new section on this website calling for a rejuvenation of Canadian interest in democracy. Democracy is not something that you participate in once, or even once an election cycle. It is ongoing.

The recent protests across the world have brought home an important message: the right to vote in a free election is a right that countless people fight for and some even give up their lives for. And yet 40% of Canadians have that right and do not exercise it.

I want this section to be about challenging Canadians as bluntly as possible to engage the system, to be part of the process. And I want to celebrate those who do and who inspire others to join them. We can actually make a difference. One person really can change the world. Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26 year old Tunisian street merchant, did change the world. And you can too.

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Theresa

Theresa Lubowitz is a student of philosophy and public administration. Her scholastic interests lie in post-Confederation Canadian history with emphasis on federal political history as well as current affairs in Canadian civics.
She has an general interest in electoral reform and is particularly interested in electoral system design theory as well as game theory in regards to balloting.
Her passion is the push for the re-engagement of the electorate in regards to civic participation in Canada and hopes to play a role in the reversal of the democratic deficit creeping across the country.
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